CAYTON side The Star began the new Yorkshire Superleague Premiership season with a hard fought 4-4 draw with promoted Woodbottom from Bradford.

The Star again fielded aces from Ryedale and one of them, Pickering’s Phil Bointon, began the comeback from 4-2 down.

Another, Billy Hague, had earlier failed to find last season’s great form and consequently lost the opening contest 4-1 to Rod Nichol. A tidy 88 finish in the fourth leg was Hague’s only highlight.

An assured performance saw Alan Dawson level the match with a 4-2 win over Tommy Walsh. The Pickering man was deadly on the treble, hitting 12 ton-plus scores, and sealed the match with a great 16-dart leg.

Rillington’s Cameron Spiller looked rusty, missed doubles and was beaten 4-0 by Paul Toulmin.

Oliver Mitchell, though, was in devastating form, and needed to be, as he defeated Yorkshire county star James Barton 4-3. Mitchell produced heavy scoring and won the deciding leg with an awesome 14-darter, finishing with a two-dart 80 outshot.

Jim Gordon suffered a rare defeat, 4-2 to the impressive Dave Lammie, and Rillington’s Paul Bulmer then lost 4-2 to Yorkshire legend Les Delderfield.

Bulmer raced 2-0 up but missed doubles in the next leg and Delderfield roared back to win with an 88.50 average and man-of-the-match performance.

With Woodbottom now leading 4-2, the pressure was on the Cayton side.

Bointon started the season with a bang, though, as he whitewashed Woodbottom captain Mark Hanslip. After a nervy start, Bointon hit an awesome 154 finish in leg three for an 18-darter and started the next leg with a 180 as he romped to a crucial win, sealing the point with a two-dart 66 finish of bull then double eight.

Graham Elvidge then tied the match by winning a titanic 4-3 thriller with Willie Kershaw, coming from 3-1 down with three 18-darters – capped off by a cool 71 finish in the decider with Kershaw sat on a double.

Meanwhile, the annual general meeting and registration evening for the Pickering & District League will take place on Sunday, September 21, at the Horseshoe Inn, Hallgarth, Pickering, to start at 7.45pm.

All teams must attend as must any new team wishing to join the league. For further information contact Kevin Wilson 07768 521022.